By Daily Review Online
Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has said that several strategic road projects conceived during the colonial era but abandoned for decades are finally being actualised under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, describing the development as a major milestone in addressing long-standing infrastructure deficits in the South-East region.
Umahi made the remarks on Saturday in Ebonyi State while leading a delegation of senior journalists and government officials on an inspection tour of major infrastructure projects being executed under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
At the centre of the inspection was the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue Trans-Saharan Superhighway, a massive road project expected to connect key economic corridors across the South-East, South-South, and North-Central regions of the country.
According to the minister, the project represents the fulfilment of a dream first conceived during the colonial era but left unrealised for generations.
“This was a colonial-era dream that was forgotten for decades. President Tinubu has revived it, and construction is ongoing. We owe him immense gratitude for making this vision a reality,” Umahi stated.
He disclosed that Section One of the highway, originally planned as a 118-kilometre stretch, has been extended to 123.6 kilometres at a contract cost of ₦45 billion, with dualisation works already in progress.
Umahi further revealed that Section Two of the project, stretching from the Aboadi border through Benue and Kogi states to Nasarawa State, has been awarded at a cost of ₦668 billion.
The minister noted that construction has attained approximately 28 per cent completion in some segments despite the rainy season, attributing the progress to the deployment of concrete pavement technology championed by President Tinubu.
He explained that the highway would serve as a major economic corridor capable of transforming trade and commerce across the regions.
“The Trans-Saharan Superhighway is not just a road project. It is an investment corridor that will stimulate the movement of agricultural products such as cassava, yam, cashew and palm oil from Cross River, Benue and Ebonyi States, while also strengthening Nigeria’s connectivity with neighbouring Cameroon,” he said.
Umahi emphasized that the concrete road technology first introduced by Tinubu during his tenure as governor is now being adopted nationwide to ensure durability and long-term value for public investments.
The former Ebonyi governor also expressed appreciation on behalf of the South-East people, saying the region now enjoys a level of federal inclusion long sought by previous generations.
“All our forefathers sought was inclusiveness, and today we have it,” he declared.
During the tour, the delegation inspected several critical infrastructure projects, including bridges and road sections under construction along the superhighway corridor.
Among the projects visited was the 1.3-kilometre Ndi-Egbe Bridge in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, which links communities in Ebonyi and Cross River States. The bridge is expected to be completed by December 2026.
The team also examined the concrete pavement works on the Onueke section of the highway and inspected the completed link road connecting Okposi-Ukawu in Ebonyi State to Ugwulangu-Abaomege in Cross River State.
Attention was also drawn to the ongoing construction of the Onueke Flyover in Ebonyi Central Senatorial District.
Umahi described the ₦35 billion project as a strategic intervention designed to ease traffic congestion and improve transportation efficiency within the state. The flyover rises approximately 90 metres and is accompanied by 2.2 kilometres of access roads on both sides.
Speaking during the visit, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru commended President Tinubu for prioritising infrastructure development in the South-East and supporting projects that he said would stimulate economic growth across the region.
A statement by Tunde Rahman, Director of Media & Publicity, Renewed Hope Ambassadors said the governor also highlighted numerous state-funded development projects, including rural roads, primary healthcare centres and water supply schemes spread across all local government areas of the state.
According to him, contractors remain actively engaged across Ebonyi due to the volume of ongoing development initiatives.
“We have projects spread across every local government area. From rural roads to primary healthcare centres and water schemes, development is taking place simultaneously across the state,” Nwifuru said.
The governor further claimed that Ebonyi remains one of the safest states in Nigeria, asserting that no kidnapping incident has been recorded since he assumed office.
Meanwhile, political activities are gathering momentum ahead of a major rally scheduled for Monday in Abakaliki, where South-East governors and political leaders are expected to endorse President Tinubu for a second term in office.
Umahi said Governor Nwifuru would lead the people of Ebonyi State in expressing appreciation to the President for his developmental initiatives and urged residents to disregard opposition criticisms.
The media tour was organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors under the leadership of Governor Hope Uzodimma, in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team.
The delegation, led by presidential aides including Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, and Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, is undertaking a regional assessment of projects being executed under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Following the Ebonyi inspection, the team is expected to continue its tour across Enugu, Abia, Anambra and Imo states to evaluate additional federal projects being implemented under the Tinubu administration.